Truck side frame



June 22, 1943. F. H. SPENNER TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed 001;. 6, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 1 l .fl/s 147- ToRA E/s.

June 22, 1943. F. H. SPENNER 2,322,599 TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed Oct. 6,1.941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7' I IIIIIY. HIIIIIIIIIII Patented June 22, 1943UNITED TRUCK SIDE FRAME Fred H. Spenner. St. Louis, Mo., assignor toSoullin Steel 00., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri ApplicationOctober 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,778

6 Claims. (Cl. 105205) This invention relates to cast truck side frames.Side frames of this type comprise a compression member located at thetop, a tension member located at the bottom with its end portionsintegral with the end portions of the compression member, and verticallydisposed columns that are spaced apart from each other with their upperand lower ends integral with the compression and tension memberrespectively. The top of the portion of the tension member between thecolumns is adapted to form a horizontal seat for the springs thatsupport the truck bolster, while the main portions of the tensionmembers beyond the spring seat incline upwardly at an angle in theneighborhood of thirty degrees. As the whole weight of the car istransmitted to the truck side frame through the spring seat portion ofthe tension member, it is undesirable to have any abrupt offsets in theupper surface of said member; and it is one of the principal objects ofthe present invention to obviate such abrupt offsets. Another principalobject is to produce a design that will eliminate the difficulties ofcasting teel in intersecting planes and will generally facilitate theoperation of casting. Another object is to produce a mechanical designthat will utilize the metal to the best advantage and thereby effectconsiderable saving in the weight of the side frame. Another object isto so design the tension member as to accommodate the endmost bolstersprings in recesses that open toward each other and are level with theseats of the intermediate springs.

The invention consists principally in making the tension member of theside frame of hollow or channel section and with its width increasingfrom points outwardly beyond the columns to a maximum at the mid-pointof the spring seat and with recesses for the endmost bolster springsopening toward each other in the upper surface of the widened portion.It also consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer tolike parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway car truck embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is the side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the middle portionof my side frame on the plane 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the side frame on the plane6-6 of Fig. 3 and showing the bolster and springs in elevation; and

Fig. '7 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the plane 'll of Fig. 3.

Except for my improvement hereinafter described, the truck side frameshown in the accompanying drawings is of well known type. It comprises acompression member I at the top, a tension member 2 at the bottom andspaced apart vertical columns 3, all cast in an integral piece thatincludes also journal boxes 4. The tension member comprises a horizontalmiddle portion 5 that constitutes a seat for springs 6 that support thebolster 'l. The portions 8 of the tension member that eXtend from thespring seat to the journal boxes are inclined upwardly.

According to the present invention, the side walls of the hollow box orinverted channelshaped tension member diverge from points 9 somewhatoutwardly beyond the columns to the transverse center line ID of theside frame. The tops of the respective inclined portions 8 of thetension member extend continuously to the horizontal spring seat portion'5 but their lower ends are bifurcated to form semicircular or arcuaterecesses I l whose bottoms are substantially flush with the main portionof the spring seat. These recesses, which are of arcuate shape, opentowards each other and are of proper size to receive the endmost bolstersprings. The forks or bifurcations l2 of the tops of the inclinedportion of the side frame are wide enough to provide the cross-sectionalarea and tensile strength commensurate with the unrecessed orunbifurcated portion of said top. In this way, the lines of force in theinclined portion of said tension member are straight lines inside theboundaries thereof. 7

As hereinbefore stated, the sides of the hollow box or channel sectionof the side frame diverge toward their transverse center line so thatthe side frame is of maximum width midway of the length of the sideframe, that is, at the middle of the spring seat. At this point, theside members of the hollow box or channel are preferably spaced apart adistance equal to the distance between the centers of those bolstersprings that are furthest apart on this line that is about twice thediameter of the springs. At the transverse center line It of the sideframe, the spring seat thereof is widened by means of integral bracketsor flanges l3 of a width somewhat greater than the radius of the bolstersprings. These brackets or flanges are relatively short and aresupported by lugs l4 cast on the sides of the hollow box or channelsection. In the construction illustrated, the spring seat accommodatesfive bolster springs 6, namely, three on the transverse center line andan end spring in each of the recesses H formed by the bifurcations ofthe inclined portions of the tension member.

While I have described the tension member as being of hollow box orinverted channel section, it is noted that the horizontal portion is ofhollow box section (see Figs. 6 and 7) while the inclined portions maybe formed with substantial openings in the bottom for core supports andfor the removal of core sand.

The structure hereinbefore described is a simple one to cast as it haspractically no intersecting walls or webs. Its lines of force in thetension member are continuous straight lines and inside the boundariesthereof. By widening the box sectional form of the spring seat to thecenters of the outer springs on the transverse center line of the sideframe and supplementing this increased width with small brackets, a mostadvantageous use is made of the metal without involving any diflicultyof casting, and a like statement applies with respect to bifurcating thelower ends of the inclined portions of the tension member to providerecesses for accommodating full length endmost bolster springs and stillmaintain, the directional continuity of the sides of said recesses allthe way to the spring seat level and with a strength equal to theunrecessed portion.

What I claim is:

1. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springssupported by said side frames and. a bolster supported on said springs,each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member andspaced columns, said tension member comprising outwardly inclined endportions and a horizontal intermediate portion, said portions havingspaced apart side walls and a top connecting them, the side walls ofsaid tension member diverging from points outwardly of the columns to amaximum midway of the length of the horizontal portion the tops of theinclined portions inwardly of and adjacent to the columns havingsemicircular recesses whose bot- V toms are substantially flush with thetop of the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion hav ing, in theregion of maximum width only, relatively short brackets substantiallyflush with its top.

2. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springssupported by said side frames and a bolster supported on said springs,each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member andspaced. columns, said tension member having a horizontal portion between said columns and inclined portions beyond said horizontal portion,said tension member having spaced apart side walls which diverge frompoints outwardly beyond the columns to a maximum midway of the length ofsaid tension memher where the overall span between said side walls isabout twice the diameter of the bolster springs and the side margins ofthe top of said tension member having relatively short lateral flangesin said midway region but elsewhere being substantially flush with theouter faces of said side walls, the tops of said inclined portionsinwardly of said columns being widened and having, near said columns,spring recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top ofsaid horizontal portion, the portions of said inclined tops at the sidesof said recesses extending continuously to said horizontal portion andbeing commensurate in tensile strength with the unrecessed portions ofsaid tops.

3. A railway car truck comprising integral side frames, bolster springssupported by said side frames and a bolster supported on said springs,each side frame comprising a compression member, a tension member andspaced columns, said tension member having a horizontal portion betweensaid columns and inclined portions beyond said horizontal portion, saidtension member having spaced apart side walls which diverge from pointsoutwardly beyond the columns to a i maximum midway of the length of saidtension member where the overall span between said side walls is abouttwice the diameter of the bolster springs and the side margins of thetop of said tension member having relatively short lateral flanges insaid midway region but elsewhere being substantially flush with theouter faces of said side walls, the tops of said inclined portionsinwardly of said columns being widened and having, near said columns,spring recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with the top ofsaid horizontal portion, and the portions of said inclined tops at thesides of said recesses extending continuously to said horizontalportion.

4. An integral truck side frame comprising a compression member, atension member and spaced columns, said tension member comprisingoutwardly inclined end portions and a horizontal intermediate portion,the side walls of said tension member being spaced apart and divergingfrom points outwardly of the columns to a maximum midway of the lengthof the horizontal portion, the tops of the inclined portions inwardly ofand adjacent to the columns having arcuate recesses whose bottoms aresubstantially flush with the top of the horizontal portion, saidhorizontal portion having relatively short lateral flanges substantiallyflush with the top thereof in the region of maximum width, the maximumspacing apart of said side walls being substantially! equal to thecenter to center distance of the outermost of three bolster springs, andbolster springs seated in the respective recesses and three additionalbolster springs in the line of maximum width.

5. An integral truck side frame comprising a compression member, atension member and spaced columns, said tension member comprisingoutwardly inclined end portions and a hori zontal intermediate portion,the side walls of said tension member being spaced apart and divergingfrom points outwardly of the columns to a maximum midway of the lengthof the horizontal portion, the tops of the inclined portions inwardly ofand adjacent to the columns having semicircular recesses whose bottomsare substantially flush with the top of the horizontal portion, and thetensile strength of the top in transverse planes through a recess beingsubstantially commensurate with its tensile strength beyond the recess,said horizontal portion having relatively short lateral ribs located inthe region of maximum width and being substantially flush with the topof said horizontal portion, the maximum separation of said side wallsbeing substantially equal to the distance between centers of theoutermost of three bolster springs, and bolster springs seated in theirrespective recesses and three additional bolster springs in the line ofmaximum separation of said side walls.

6. A truck side frame comprising a compression member, a tension memberand spaced col- .umns, said tension member comprising upwardly inclinedend portions and a horizontal intermediate portion, said portions havingspaced apart side walls and a top connecting them, said side Wallsdiverging from points outwardly of said columns to a maximum midway ofthe length of said horizontal portion, the tops of said inclinedportions inwardly of said columns having substantially semi-circularspring receiving recesses whose bottoms are substantially flush with thetop of said horizontal portion, said recesses being located entirelybetween and clear of said side walls, whereby the tops of said inclinedportions extend continuously to said horizontal portion between saidrecesses and the outer faces FRED H. SPENNER.

